Coach/Specialist Essay 1
Effective reading instruction has been a hot topic throughout the history of education.
Over the years much research has been completed to determine the most effective ways to teach
reading and different roles have evolved. Two of those roles include reading specialist and
reading coach. Throughout my reading, I have discovered that these roles are basically
intertwined with one another. Although they are referred to as two different positions in some
cases, they require similar qualifications and both perform similar duties in the school system.
A reading specialist is defined as a professional with advanced preparation and
experience in reading who have responsibility for the literacy performance of readers in general
but particularly with struggling readers (The International Reading Association, 2000). Based on
my previous experience in the public school, a reading specialist was someone who held a
master’s degree in reading, and their focus was to pull out students who qualified for Title 1
services. These students received instruction in a small group setting with the reading specialist
for thirty minutes three to five times each week. The reading specialist would also make
themselves available for help with testing and instruction in certain programs that were expected
to be implemented in reading. Our reading specialist was also asked to fill in as our leader when
the principal was out of the building. The staff had great admiration and respect for the reading
specialist.
As time went on and our school system integrated SRA Reading Mastery Plus, the
reading specialist became the leader of this program. The reading specialist would train the
teachers on how to implement the program as well as visit the classrooms and coach the teachers
on how to deliver lessons appropriately. The reading specialist was also available if teachers had
questions or needed help. Each month, there would be a meeting with the principal, reading
specialist, and other leaders to observe and discuss data collected by the reading specialist. They
Coach/Specialist Essay 2
would use this time to identify areas of strengths and areas of weakness. The reading specialist
would then come up with a plan to help improve the weak areas identified from the data.
Since my time in the public setting, a new term has emerged and that is the title of
reading or literacy coach. A literacy coach is knowledgeable in all areas of literacy (Toll, 10).
They must possess an understanding of child development as well as adult learning with a strong
focus on professional learning (Toll, 11). A reading/literacy coach focuses on supporting
teachers where as a reading specialist focuses on supporting students. In some cases, the role of
reading specialist and literacy/reading coach overlap. Therefore, both positions require similar
amounts of training. They must have teaching experience, a master’s degree in education with a
focus on reading, at least twenty-four graduate hours in language arts/reading, and six hours of
supervised practicum experience (Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse, 2008). From my
experience, there have been times when current teachers have been hired as a reading specialist
while they are currently enrolled in a reading master’s degree program with a specific
completion date. However, it appears that today many students are now completing their
master’s degree in reading upon completion of their undergraduate degree.
I myself was not familiar with the term reading/literacy coach until I enrolled in the
master’s degree program at Longwood last fall. I have been teaching in a small, private school
for the past eight years and we do not have a reading specialist or reading coach. It is through
my training thus far that has really inspired me to lobby for changes in our school to support a
position of some sort of reading specialist or reading coach. I feel like our reading instruction is
good but it could be much better. I am hoping that my course work at Longwood will help me to
become a better reading teacher.
Coach/Specialist Essay 3
When I decided to seek my master’s degree in Reading, Language, and Literacy from
Longwood, my main goal was to become a better reading teacher. I have always had a passion
for reading with my focus being on helping the struggling reader. However, I am not sure if I
really want to be a reading specialist or a reading coach. I love working with children, but I am
concerned that I do not possess the qualities of an effective leader. I do look forward to seeing
what doors may open for me once I have completed my degree.
Coach/Specialist Essay 4
References
The International Reading Association and National Council of Teacher Education. Literacy
Coaching Clearinghouse. Retrieved from:
http://www.literacycoachingonline.org/aboutus/reading_specialist.html
Roles of the Reading Specialist: Summary of position statement (March, 2000). International
Reading Association. Reprinted with permission. Retrieved from:
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/roles-reading-specialist.com
Toll, Cathy A. (2014). The Literacy Coach’s Survival Guide: Essential Questions and
Practical Answers (2nd ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
